Die construction



June 8, 1965 N. B. WALES, JR

DIE CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 50, 1963 o k E ll 1 D u v l L; 2 f fl n: 2 m .Z Z i um mmmmmmnmmmmmu M /v Wl/y 7 79 W t? United States Patent 3,188,001 DIE CONSTRUCTION Nathaniel B. Wales, Jr., Sharon, Conn, assignor to Business Research and Engineering Corporation, Ardmore, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 320,008 3 Claims. (Cl. 234-131) This invention relates to a novel multiple aperture die construction for tabular card punches such as that disclosed in US. Patent 3,008,632.

In this type of punch it is desirable to locate long, thin columnar punch-locating cam plates with great accuracy with respect to the die aperture. In the above patent, this was achieved by making the locating cam plate an integral part of an egg-crate type of die. Although fully operable, this construction leads to a practical difiiculty, namely, the fact that the space between the punch-locating cam plate-s must be exactly equal to the width of the die apertures. Consequently, the tolerance or clearance provided to allow the punch to slide lfreely to a selected die aperture must be made exactly equal to the die punching clearance. However, since the die punching clearance must be made to be extremely small to effect clean punching, it follows that impractical requirements for cam plate flatness and punch guidance are set up.

This difliculty was resolved in practice by making the cam plates separate from the egg-crate die walls thereby permitting the use of a thinner material for the cam plates than that used for the die Walls, and thus providing the larger clearance desired for selectively sliding the punch to a given die aperture, while retaining the small clearance desired between punch and die aperture for clean punching.

The foregoing expedient, however, required the use of stepped spacers in the egg crate construction thereby involving many complex parts requiring a substantial assembly time and cost.

The present invention overcomes the foregoing multiplicity, while satisfying the required accuracy of cam plate location, by teaching the use of a laminar die construction in which the locating cam plates are keyed to the laminae of the die plates, and are mutually spaced row to row by integral trapezoidal spacing tabs.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simplified structure for multiple aperture dies which can be economically manufactured and assembled, while maintaining accurate punch guiding means for assuring correct registration of the punches with the die apertures.

Another object of the invention is to provide a design of multiple aperture die in which the hardened metal used for cutting the card to be punched may be made thin enough to be fabricated by metal punching techniques, while at the same time providing good support to withstand the card punching forces.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel trapezoidal design of spacing tabs for punch locating cam plates such that identical cam plate stampings after being formed by bending out said tabs will mutually space and accurately locate one another when assembled into a parallel array.

For other objects and a better understanding of the subject invention, reference is made to the following detailed specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view in side elevation of the subject die construction;

FIGURE 2 is a view in front elevation through the plane 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a plan view through 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

3,188,091 Patented J une' 8, 1965 "Ice Referring to the drawings, a base plate 5 is provided with two integral die support brackets 6 which are bent up from the base plate 5 to form an aperture 7 through which the punch card passes. Brackets 6 are each provided with a plurality of equally spaced parallel slots between which a corresponding plurality of die support bars 8 are embracedand located by notches on each end of bars 8. The assembly of bars 8 and brackets 6 then for-m a support grid. Brackets 6 are also provided with four tabs 9 bent parallel to the base plate 5 and which form the locating plat-form for an upper primary cutting die plate 10, and a lower secondary supporting die plate 11. Die plates 10 and 11 thus form a laminated composite die structure which is secured to tabs 9 by means of rivets =12.

Primary die plate 10 is provided with a rectangular matrix of rectangular die apertures 13. In addition, plate 10 is provided with a plurality of apertures or notches 14 locatedon two opposite edges of plate 10 and positioned so that the lines joining opposite corresponding pairs of notches 14 define the columns in the matrix of die apertures 13. The material of die plate 10 is a hardened metal such as steel of such a thinness that it may be punched in a stamping press in its hardened condition. For example, plate 10 might be made from .005 inch thick hardened steel shim stock.

The supporting secondary die plate 11 may be congruent with plate 10, and could be punched by the same die from a thicker stock, such as .032 inch thick steel, since it is preferably made of a soften metal. Being congruent with plate 10, plate 11 is provided with corresponding die apertures 17 and notches 18. This technique of laminating die plates of differing hardness thus makes possible the economical fabrication of a multiple aperture die which has the required cutting hardness while still having adequate support strength. The assembled die plates 10 and 11 rest on bars 8 in such a way that the edges of bars 8 define the rows of the die matrix.

A plurality of punch-locating elongated thin cam plates 15 are keyed into die plates 10 and 11 by integral protuberant keys 16 located at each end of each cam plate 15 so that each key 16 enters a notch .14 and 18 in die plates 10 and 11, respectively, thereby accurately locating plates 15 with respect to the die apertures 13 and 17.

A comb bracket 19 is provided at each end of the cam plates 15 to space and retain them. Rivets 12 serve also to secure and locate brackets 19 with respect to the die plates 10 and 11 and to the chassis brackets 6. The tines of combs 19 thus enter into the columnar space between each cam plate 15.

Cam plates 15 each have a recessed area which together in assembly form a card slot 20 intervening between plates 15 and die plate 10.

In addition, each cam plate 15 has a plurality of punchlocating cam apertures 27 located in its upper edge remote from die plate 10, each cam aperture defining a punching row location.

Since punch-locating plates 15 are necessarily thin and can be secured only at their ends, it is desirable to provide some means of positively spacing them at points intermediate between their ends. The said means taught by this invention comprise one or more trapezoidal tabs 21 integral with each stamped plate 15, and bent out at right angles thereto after the blanking operation of their fabrication.

Because of the trapezoidal shape of these tabs, the outer or foot width of each tab 21 is wider than the root Width. Consequently, when bent at right angles to the body of cam plate 15, they each form a spacer with respect to the adjacent parallel cam plate 15 in such a away that the wider cfoo-t of rower root of the adjacent tab.

It is to be noted that the tab 21 could achieve a similar effect if it had the shape of a parallelogram or oblique triangle, but would have only one point of spacing contact with the adjacent tabroot instead of the two points of contact afforded by the preferred trapezoidal shape. 7

Each column of die apertures 13, 17 is served by a slideab le rpunch member 22 having a guide slot 23, a positioning slot 24, a punch 25, and a punch guide pin 26. Each punch member 22 is supported on and carried into punching reciprocation by a pair of punching cams 28 which are eccentrically journalled relative to base plate 5. i

In operation, as detailed more fully in the referenced Patent an -3,008,632, each punch member is slideably moved into a desired row position and the eccentric cams 28 are subsequently rotated in synchronism so as to force the punches 25 downward towards the card slot 20 and the die plate 10. This motion causes the cam following pin 25 secured to punch member 22 to enter the corresponding cam' aperture 27 thereby longitudinally camming and adjusting the punch member 22 so that punch 25 will precisely align with the corresponding .die aperture 13, 17 before punching the tabular card which had been inserted in slot 20'.

As many modifications are possible by those skilled in the art under the scope and spirit of the present invention it is to be understood that the tab rests against the nari Whatis claimed is:

1. A punch die comprising: aprirnary die platehaving die apertures arrayed in rows and columns; a secondary die plate having die apertures substantially congruent to those of said primary plate; a grid of support members; means to secure together said primary plate, said secondary plate and said grid in that order; a plurality of elongated punch locating cam plates corresponding to the columns of said aperture array; a key member References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,110,854 3/38 Fuller et a1. 83-553 2,684,717 7/54 Jones et 'al. 83-553 3,008,632 11/6 1 Grady 234-4-2 3,143,060 8/64- Son-ier.

ANDREW RV. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM s. LAWSON, Examiner. 

1. A PUNCH DIE COMPRISING: A PRIMARY DIE PLATE HAVING DIE APERTURES ARRAYED IN ROWS AND COLUMNS; A SECONDARY DIE PLATE HAVING DIE APERTURES SUBSTANTIALLY CONGRUENT TO THOSE OF SAID PRIMARY PLATE; A GRID OF SUPPORT MEMBERS; MEANS TO SECURE TOGETHER SAID PRIMARY PLATE, SAID SECONDARY PLATE AND SAID GRID IN THAT ORDER; A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED PUNCH LOCATING AM PLATES CORRESPONDING TO THE COLUMNS OF SAID APERTURE ARRAY; A KEY MEMBER PROTRUDING TRANSVERSELY FROM THE ELONGATED AXIS, OF, AT EACH END OF, AND INTEGRAL WITH EACH OF SAID CAM PLATES; APERTURES IN SAID PRIMARY DIE PLATE TO RECEIVE AND LOCATE SAID KEY MEMBERS; AND COMB MEANS TO RETAIN AND ALIGN SAID CAM PLATES RELATIVE TO SAID PRIMARY DIE PLATE. 